Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

EDWIN F. PLANT, 0F BURR OAK, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,759, dated March11, 1873.

To all whom "it may concern: A

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. PLANT, of Burr Oak, in the county of St.Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in (Jar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction'andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing makinga part of this specification and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a representation of a vertical section of mycar-coupler. Fig. 21s a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of my link.

My invention relates to car-couplers; and consists in the novelconstruction of the coupling-link, the pin, and bumper-head, ashereinafter described. A

A of the drawing represents a bumper having a bell-shaped mouth, asshown, and a vertical wall-at the rear of the coupling-pin. Brepresents. my coupling-link, which is constructed in one piece, or intwo sections, rigidly united at their centers, so as to form recesses orslots at each end, marked a on the drawing. The extreme ends of thislink are formed into hooks, as shown, which singly represent one-half ofan arrow-head, and which, by means of the springbars c, are made totouch against each other at the hook-points, thereby creating guides forattachment to the coupling-pin, as hereinafter mentioned. T he.letter yrepresents my coupling-pin. This is constructed in a sword shape, and incrosssection' very nearly describes a figure of a right-angled triangle.The rear side of this pin is grooved, as shown on Fig 2, to receive thehooked points of the link B.

I usually attach a ring and cord. to the top of this pin to facilitatethe work of uncoupling cars.

My device operates as follows, namely The link is attached to a pin inone bumper, with its opposite end protruding outward. The pin is placedin position in the opposite bumper. Now, when the cars-are broughttogether, the bell-shaped mouth guides the link to the pin in suchmanner that the sharp front side or edge of the pin enters between andseparates the hooks of the link. As soon as the points of the hooks havepassed beyond the pin, the spring-bars close them together, and thecoupling process is completed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The car-coupling link B, constructed of one piece of timber or metal,or of two pieces,

rigidly united at their centers, and having spring-arms O andarrow-heads, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the coupling-link B, the bell-mouthed bumper Aand swordshaped pin 3 constructed and arranged substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN F. PLANT.

Witnesses PHIL. O. MAsI, D. D. KANE.

